Текст книги "Only Pleasure"

Автор книги: Lora Leigh

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 22 страниц)

She listened to the sociable negotiations disguised as polite conversation and, as always, her father’s business world both fascinated and amused her. She had never been able to keep up in a social setting. Her mother had taught her one thing: talking business required the appropriate locale.

Besides, the dance floor was filling up, and the quarter glass of wine she had allowed herself to consume had her foot tapping as Cameron and Jaci moved onto the floor.

“Kia, remember to pull up the projections of that warehouse when you get to the office in the morning,” her father stated. “I want a full account of projected profits versus the outrageous price Ian wants.” He cast Ian a mock fierce glare.

“The property is worth every penny I’m asking for it,” Ian argued with a grin. “You’re just as tightfisted as you ever were.”

“Can you believe him?” Timothy waved his hand toward Ian with playful fierceness. “Tightfisted, greedy kid. I can’t believe I’m attempting to do business with him.”

“And you’re loving every minute of it.” Kia laughed.

A forced laugh. She was sitting here, watching, listening, and she was remembering Chase. Which was worse? Knowing he didn’t want to be seen in public with her or being in public without him?

“Señorita Rutherford, I fear I must demand a dance.”

She turned, staring up at Sebastian de Laurents, the Spaniard Ian had hired as his club manager.

Sebastian was from one of the elite families in Spain, a rogue, a renegade, and a black sheep. She’d liked him the moment she met him more than a year before.

“One dance.” She rose to her feet, the fast beat of the music racing through her blood, joined with the wine, making her brave.

Sebastian was dark blond, so unlike Chase. His eyes were brown rather than green, his body broader, his features less defined. But the club was dark, and she was desperate. Two days, two sleepless nights. She wanted to pretend, just for a few moments, nothing more.

He pulled her onto the dance floor, graceful and adept as they moved together to the quick beat. He touched her waist, her wrist, her fingers. He smiled down at her, and she wondered if his gaze was as knowing as it appeared. If he knew as much as he seemed to when he looked down at her.

“As graceful as the breeze itself,” he complimented her as the music ended. “One more, and then I will have mercy on you.”

One more. Another fast beat and they were moving within the crowd. Kia felt the energy of the dance fill her. She had always loved dancing, but Drew hadn’t. He refused to even slow dance or to hear of her dancing with friends. This was like a balm to her femininity even as she ached.

Turning, twisting. Her eyes swept over the tables—and locked with light green eyes.

The music faded. She felt the rhythm of her body, she was aware of Sebastian behind her, but in that, moment she saw only Chase.

Unblinking. Hunger filled her, gnawed at her. Sleepless nights and aching need swirling through her. She forced herself to turn her eyes away. Hearing the end of the tune, she thanked Sebastian for the dance and began to move back to the table.

“Not yet.”

She turned. Chase’s arm wrapped around her waist as a heavy Latin beat fired up, and she stared into his eyes.

She felt his body move to the dance, and she followed. Her hips twisted into his, swayed. One hand gripped her hip, the other clasped her hand. Sensuality washed between them with tidal force, locking them together as she felt him around her, moving her.

The hard beat of the music flowed between them like sex, like the hunger raging between them. They were hip to hip, then she was turning, twirling him, his arm going around her waist, bringing her back to his chest as his other hand gripped her just beneath her breast, and they swayed. Hips rolled and rubbed and against the sensitive tip of her nipple she caught the quick flick of his thumb.

She felt lost within him. When the music slowed and spilled into a slower tune he turned her in his arms, locked her to him as he brought her hand to his neck and clasped it to him.

“I need you.” He half snarled the declaration, his eyes narrowed and fierce. “It’s going to happen, Kia. You know it is.”

Her lips parted as she forced herself to breathe, tried to fight past the raging arousal spreading between them. She could feel him hard, thick, against her lower stomach. His body was tense, his arms possessive and strong around her as he bent his head to her.

“I’m dying for you.” He brushed the words against her lips.

“You’re going to kill me,” she whispered back, swaying with him, helpless in his arms.

“I’m dying to touch you.” He moved his lips across her cheek as her lashes closed. “I dream of taking you again, Kia. Thrusting inside you. Spilling inside you. It’s more pleasure than I’ve ever known in my life.”

“Don’t. Please,” she murmured the plea as she felt herself melting into him, felt more than the wine and the dance filling her.

She felt Chase. Felt him over her, inside her, caressing her, taking her. The memories washed through her, and she had to blink back tears.

“You can’t keep doing this,” she half sobbed as his lips caressed the soft skin beneath her ear. “You pull me to you, then push me away. I can’t do this, Chase.”

“I can’t let you go.” His hands tightened at her back. “I won’t let you go, Kia.” He lifted his head, his expression savage.

“You don’t have a choice.” She was breaking apart inside now. “I’m not a toy, Chase. A pretty little doll. I can’t be that for you.”

The music eased and broke, struck into a hard, violent clash of sound and lights as she turned away from him and rushed from the dance floor.

She could feel him watching her, feel his eyes on her, feel him following her. She felt him, even when he wasn’t touching her, and that sensation speared through her, tightened her womb and spilled the silky warmth of arousal between her thighs.

I need you, he had whispered. If only it were need rather than mere want. Need she couldn’t have denied him. But want? Wanting was a hidden little fling, nothing of substance, nothing to warm either of them. She would rather do without want. She dreamed of need. Because she needed—

He watched them. He had followed, just to be certain. To see them together. He couldn’t be certain unless he saw them together. And he saw them. He watched the dance, the sensuality in their movements, and in Falladay’s face he saw something that evidently the woman had missed.

As she walked away from Chase, he saw misery flicker across his face, then determination, then savage possessiveness.

And he nodded, his chest heavy, his heart filled with grief.

Chase followed her. He hadn’t meant to be here tonight. He had meant to stay as far away as possible. Nothing good could come of it, he told himself, even as he drove to the club. Hurting Kia further wasn’t fair. He was hurting them both, and he couldn’t turn back.

She was his. She would have to learn to live with the consequences of that, because tonight he had every intention of claiming her, of holding her through the night and waking with her come morning.

God help them both. Living with him wasn’t easy; he’d been assured of that time and time again.

For now, he’d let her run while he followed. She deserved that, to be able to hurt him back, for a time. And fuck if it didn’t tear at him, seeing those tears in her eyes, the suspicion, and the lack of trust.

He told her he needed her. He wondered what she would think if she knew he had never told another woman he needed her. That he had never asked another woman to live with him. The few times he had managed to share homes with one, it had been at their insistence, not his.

He intended to insist this time. He would have her in his home, and in his life, and she would just have to learn to deal with him, wouldn’t she?

He followed her back to the table, taking the seat beside her that Jaci vacated, despite Kia’s look of promised retribution.

He eased into the chair and caught the waiter’s attention. He ordered his drink, and sipped at it as she ate the light dinner she had ordered. And tried to ignore him.

Timothy Rutherford was watching him suspiciously, knowingly. Man to man, they both knew what the hell was going on here. The other man would have to learn not to interfere in it, and he would learn that nothing mattered more to Chase than having Kia in his life.

Commitment wasn’t something Chase went into lightly. And it still had his guts tied in knots. Hell, he was a fool for her and he knew it. He always had been.

She refused to dance with him again, but she didn’t dance with anyone else.

Sebastian tried to cajole her into returning to the dance floor and she refused.

Daniel Conover was there minutes later, only to be turned away.

“Why aren’t you dancing?” Chase asked her, watching as she played with her glass of wine.

She shook her head. “I’m tired.”

“You enjoyed dancing earlier. Do you think I’m going to get angry because you dance with other men?” he asked her carefully. “I won’t be jealous, Kia. But when the night is over, you’ll be leaving with me, not with them.”

She stared back at him in surprise.

“You were made to dance,” he said quietly. “Your body loves the music. I wouldn’t take that from you.”

“And I won’t let you.” She lifted her glass and finished the wine quickly before rising to her feet and leaning down to whisper something to her father.

He frowned, glanced at Chase, then nodded and pulled his phone free.

“Excuse me.” She nodded to those at the table before turning away.

Chase assumed she’d gone to’ the ladies’ room until he saw her moving to the exit. He’d pushed back his chair to rise to his feet when Timothy Rutherford’s heavy hand landed on his arm.

“Let her go, son,” he ordered him, his expression determined. “You’ve hurt her enough.”

“I intend to fix that,” he said firmly. “But I can’t do it if she runs.”

“And you can’t force her to stay and listen,” Timothy growled. “Don’t make her hide again, Falladay. You’re the reason she hid the first time. Two years of it, hiding away so you would have what you wanted. So everyone would assume it was her lies, her manipulations, that nearly revealed your secrets. She did that for you. Not for me, not for Drew, and not for herself, and so help me God, if she does it again, I’ll make damned sure you pay for it.”

Chase sat back slowly. “What the hell are you talking about? I never asked that of her. Not in any way.”

Timothy shook his head. “You didn’t have to ask her, son. What you asked of her, she did willingly, and she made certain she did it well enough that you had what you wanted. You’ve taken enough from her. Let her go tonight. Maybe tomorrow, you can convince her it’s more than just a man’s stupidity that drives you.”

He could wait. A few hours. When the Rutherfords left he would as well. And when he did, he knew exactly where he was headed.

16

He was waiting on her. He hated to do this. It was going to hurt him, more than it would hurt her, because if it went right, she would be gone forever, and he would be the one who would have to live with his actions.

But living with it was something he was prepared to do. He lived with worse, daily. He lived with his life spiraling out of control. He lived with his own rage daily. And Chase would suffer.

That was his goal. That was all that mattered, that Chase suffer. Falladay had destroyed his life. The son of a bitch. The bastard. He had taken everything, and now he had this beautiful, sparkling young woman.

He was doing her a favor. Because Chase would only destroy her. Why hadn’t she just remained the sweet, faithful little wife she had been? If she had done that, she wouldn’t have to suffer now. She wouldn’t have to pay for Chase’s crimes.

Kia watched the lights of the city as she rode home in her father’s limo. The twinkling Christmas lights. Christmas was fast approaching. Her shopping had been done for ages. She only bought for her parents and her aunt and uncle. There was no one else. Except the present she had hid in her bedroom. The present she had bought Chase and would likely never give him.

It wasn’t much. A new belt. The exquisite leather was soft and supple, and she had noticed he liked comfortable leather belts.

There was nothing fancy on it. No fancy buckle or decorations. But underneath she’d had it engraved. For the memories. Kia.

She hadn’t been able to help herself. She was insane where he was concerned, and she knew it. She had known it when she forced herself to leave the club. If she hadn’t, she would have ended up leaving with him, and she couldn’t bear another night as she’d spent the night he had come to her.

It was better like this, she told herself. Better to run while she could, to avoid the temptation as much as possible. But when he had whispered he needed her, she had nearly stumbled, nearly begged him to take her then.

Aching for him was going to kill her. It was tearing through her like a bitter storm and it was taking all her energy to stay away from him.

As the limo pulled up to the curb in front of the apartment building, she stared out the window with a sense of regret. Wishing she were with Chase instead.

Insane, she thought again as the chauffeur opened her door.

Kia stepped out of the limo and waved to her father’s chauffeur as he moved around the car toward the driver’s side.

She wasn’t aware of the shadow that moved around the building. As she turned, pain ripped through her skull and darkness swirled around her.

She felt herself falling, and it was Chase’s name she cried out as she felt her purse being torn from her shoulder.

Timothy Rutherford answered his cell phone less than half an hour after his daughter left the club, listened to his chauffeur’s frantic report, and his gaze met Chase’s, terror streaking through his mind.

“Timothy, what’s wrong?” Cecilia, always attuned to him, gripped his arm as he continued to listen.

“Stay with her,” he ordered. “We’re on our way.”

“Kia?” Celia’s tone was frightened as Chase rose quickly to his feet.

“She was attacked outside her apartment building. Ambulance is on its way. She’s unconscious, bleeding from a head wound.”

“My limo is just outside.” Ian was on his feet, as were the others.

Chase didn’t wait for them. He tore out of the club, racing out the door and rushing past the valet area to where he’d parked his car.

He was streaking out of the parking lot, tires screaming, gears grinding as he glimpsed the Sinclair limo pulling away from the club.

Km. He knew he should have followed her. Something had told him to follow her, to stay as close to her as possible. This wouldn’t have happened if he had been there. If he had taken her home himself. No one would have had a chance to touch her, to hurt her.

She wouldn’t be lying on a sidewalk, unconscious, bleeding, if he had been there.

He maneuvered through the congested traffic, cursing, horn blowing. It was a damned wonder he didn’t have a cop on his ass when he swung into a parking slot in front of her apartment and jumped from the car.

The ambulance was there, lights flashing. Chase saw blood on the sidewalk and glimpsed the paramedics inside the lobby.

He pushed inside, slamming the doors open, rage and violence coursing through him until he heard her voice.

“I said I’m okay,” she snapped. “I swear to God, Drew, if you don’t get your hands off me, I’m going to break them.”

Drew!

Chase snarled as he pushed past the small crowd that had gathered and saw her pushing Drew away. An animal force of sheer raw fury overcame him.

“Get the hell away from her!” He grabbed the other man’s arm, swung him back, and stared at Kia.

“Let me go, bastard.” Drew jerked his arm back. “You don’t have the right be here.”

Chase swung back to Drew furiously. “Don’t make me kill you.” Then he turned to look at Kia and felt the blood drain from his face.

A paramedic knelt in front of her, a small light trained on her eyes as she batted at him. Behind her, another was trying to check the gash in her head. She had blood on her forehead, her cheek. It stained her blouse. Chase’s knees began to cave.

“Don’t tell me to get away from her, Falladay!” Drew exclaimed. “You weren’t here. You didn’t see her lying on that damned sidewalk.”

Chase gripped the lapels of Drew’s jacket, nearly jerking him off his feet. He felt like ramming his fist into his jaw. “Out of my face, out of her life, or I’ll make damned sure you regret it.”

He thrust Drew back. ,

“Get away from me,” Kia ordered, fear in her voice, as the paramedic probed at her head.

“Ms. Rutherford, you need to let us transport you to the hospital,” the female tech kneeling in front of her ordered in a firm voice. “You could have a concussion. That’s nothing to play with and that head wound is going to need stitches.”

“I’m fine.” Her voice trembled as Chase rushed to her.

“Kia. Baby.”

Her head turned and a little cry passed her pale lips as she seemed to sway where she had forced the paramedics to allow her to sit instead of lie down.

“Chase.” Her eyes looked dilated, dazed. “Make them leave me alone.”

He knelt beside her, wondering that he had the strength in his legs to keep from falling at her feet in complete terror.

“It’s okay, baby.” He touched her face with fingers that shook from his utter terror even as they smeared through her blood. “It’s okay. I promise.”

“They won’t leave me alone.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Tell them I’m fine. Please. I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

He saw the concern on the paramedics’ faces. From Kia’s dilated eyes and paper-white face, he knew she wasn’t going anywhere but the hospital. Her eyes looked like bruises in white flesh.

“Baby, I’ll go with you,” he promised. “I’ll ride with you, right beside you. We’ll get you fixed right up, and I’ll take care of everything.”

“I don’t want to go,” she whispered. “They don’t let you leave.”

Her voice was now edged with panic. He didn’t understand it, and he didn’t give a damn what he had to promise her.

“It’s okay. Trust me, Kia. I won’t leave you.” He nodded to the techs as they moved back for the stretcher. “Let’s get you taken of Everything else is going to be okay. I promise.”

“You have to make them let me come home.” He saw the first tear slide down her cheek as the techs helped her onto the stretcher. “Promise me.”

“On my life, Kia. I swear.” He followed the paramedics, ignoring Drew as he passed him. “Come on. Just a quick trip. Okay?”

“You won’t leave me?”

He stepped into the back of the ambulance with her as the tech strapped her in.

Her eyes were so large, so filled with fear, he swore he was going to become violent.

“They don’t let you go once they get you there.” Her voice sounded dazed as she stared at him, those fucking tears dampening her cheeks, sliding through the stain of blood.

“I won’t let you go.” He leaned forward as the tech moved behind her and called the information in to the hospital. “I’ll be right beside you. I promise.”

He would keep that promise.

“Your father’s right behind us. No one’s going to hurt you again, Kia. I swear.”

“My purse is gone.” Her lips trembled. “It was one of my favorites.”

“She’s dazed,” the tech murmured to him. “Chauffeur reported a mugging, said the guy took her purse as he hit her. She’s possibly concussed, definitely dazed.”

“We’ll find your purse,” he promised. “I want you to rest, Kia. Do that for me, baby?”

He ignored the tech and leaned closer. He cupped her face and held her cheek against his. She was so cool. Her skin was like ice, and her gaze burned into his.

“I’m scared,” she whispered. “My head hurts, Chase. Like it did when I was a child. Mom and Dad would make me stay in the hospital, and I hated it.”

“I won’t let them,” he promised. He would promise her anything, do anything, to take that fear out of her eyes. “Do you hear me, baby? They’re going to patch your head up and I’m calling Ian’s doctor. We’ll take you out of there and take you home. There’s a spare bedroom. The doctor can sleep there.”

She frowned at him. “I don’t have a spare room.”

“You do now.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Trust me, Kia. Let me take care of you.”

She stared up at him. “I’m not a doll.”

“Never.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Never again. Just this one time, please, baby. I won’t let them make you stay.”

If he didn’t get that fear out of her eyes, he was going to commit murder. She stared back at him, and it eased, slowly. Pain still filled her eyes, though, and the grip of her hand on his was fierce, determined.

“I want a call put in to Dr. Sanjer. Radio the hospital now. Tell him Ian Sinclair requests his immediate presence at the hospital.”

Ian Sinclair’s name opened doors. The tech made the call as the ambulance maneuvered through the city streets. Chase looked behind the ambulance and saw Ian’s limo behind them. Her parents would be there, and they would try to take her from him, take her home.

The hell they would. He had backed off earlier because of Timothy Rutherford; he wouldn’t make that mistake again. As the ambulance pulled into the hospital emergency entrance, he took her hand and lifted it to his lips.

“I’ll be right behind you,” he promised.

She swallowed tightly. “They won’t let you.”

He stared fiercely into her eyes. “I’ll be right behind you, Kia.”

She stared at him, and she didn’t trust him. Hell, he couldn’t blame her, but he’d show her. He’d be there, no matter who stood in his way, no matter what.

He moved aside as the ambulance pulled to a stop and he watched them rush her away.

“Chase!” Timothy Rutherford was out the door as Ian’s limo pulled to a stop. “Is she okay?”

“She’s coherent.” He turned to Ian. “I had a call put in to Sanjer.”

Ian nodded. “I called him from the car and talked to him personally. He should be here waiting on her. What happened?”

“Techs said it was a mugging.” The hairs at the back of his neck lifted, a primal warning, a premonition he couldn’t seem to shake.

“Mugging?” Timothy snapped. “That apartment building is supposed to be one of the most secure in the city.”

“It is,” Ian snapped. “It’s one of mine. I called the manager for all security disks, and the detective in charge of the investigation will be contacting me. He should be at her apartment when she returns there.”

“She won’t be there.” Chase turned toward the hospital doors as his brother, Jaci, Ian, Courtney, and Kia’s parents watched in shock. “She’ll be at my place.”

He didn’t see the shock on the faces of those who watched him disappear into the hospital. He wouldn’t have cared if he had seen it. He’d promised Kia he would be right behind her. And he meant to keep that promise.

The headache was killing her. Kia had endured the exam, biting back a curse, and suffered in silence as the doctor stitched her head. When the nurse handed her two pills, she had taken them eagerly. It had felt as though gremlins were digging her brain out with their dull-assed fingernails.

She had flashed on a nightmare from her childhood. When she was a little girl and got horrible headaches, her doctor would always have her placed in the hospital. There they would run tests, poke and prod at her, and she would beg her parents to let her go home.

And they never would. Her mother would cry. Her father would get that miserable look on his face, and they would promise to let her go home. But they always made her stay.

Now her parents were in the room they had taken her to from the emergency room. They sat side by side near her bed. Chase stood silently at the foot of the bed, and Ian Sinclair and his wife and Cameron Falladay and Jaci were waiting outside.

Kia just wanted to go home. She wanted to curl up on the couch in front of the fire and just sleep.

“There’s no sign of a concussion,” Dr. Sanjer announced.

Portly and rugged, the middle-aged doctor smiled way too much.

“I’d like her to stay overnight, though,” he continued.

“No.” Kia didn’t bother to stare up at him, just snapped the word out.

The effort caused her to wince and rub at her temple. If she could just get to her apartment, close her eyes and sleep, then everything would be just fine. She was certain of it.

“Now, Kia, leaving is a bad idea,” her mother started, her voice worried.

“That’s what you said when I was a child,” she muttered. “I’m not staying.” She looked at Chase. “You promised.”

He stared back at her, his green eyes brooding, his expression so hard it was granite. But she saw his decision as he glanced at the doctor, and nearly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Dr. Sanjer, I have an extra room at my apartment,” he told the doctor. “You’ll be spending the night there.”

That she didn’t expect. Evidently, the doctor hadn’t either. He was Ian’s personal physician, but a friend of Chase and Cam as well.

Sanjer sighed. “It’s a good thing I like you, Chase. That order doesn’t sit well.”

“Please.” His tone of voice was hard, his expression remorseless.

The doctor grunted.

“I’ll let her leave then. I’ll get what I need and be at your apartment within the hour. I want her to stay in bed tonight and tomorrow.”

“I have a job,” she bit out.

“You won’t have one long if you don’t listen to the doctor,” Timothy snapped furiously. “For God’s sake, Kia, when did you get so damned stubborn?”

“While you weren’t looking.” She felt as querulous as she sounded.

“No doubt in my mind, because if I had been looking we might have had to discuss it, little girl,” he informed her, obviously covering his fear with his anger.

She glared back at him. “Are you staying at Chase’s, too?” She looked at Chase. “You didn’t mention staying with you.”

Her head was splitting. She knew she really needed to protest this, but she just couldn’t find the energy.

“You don’t have a spare room for the doctor,” he told her.

Of course, he had a reason. She sighed and stared at her hands. It wasn’t because he wanted her there.

“Well, hell,” she said. “I guess your couch is just as good as mine.”

Chase flinched. He wasn’t about to tell her exactly where she was going to be sleeping. In his bed. Right beside him.

He glanced at Rutherford, and knew her father knew. He was glaring at Chase. His expression promising retribution if Kia ended up with a broken heart.

“Sweetheart, you can come home with us,” Cecilia told her.

She looked at Chase and he saw panic in her eyes. Oh Lord, no. Her mother would flutter around her and weep and worry all night long. She couldn’t handle that.

“She’ll go home with me,” he told them. “Sanjer will be fine at the apartment, and both of you can come in the morning and stay as long as you like. Hell, follow us back if you want.”

He didn’t care a bit to bail her out of this one. He had no intention of allowing her to be anywhere but with him.

“Since when do you decide how she should be taken care of?” Timothy barked.

“If you don’t stop arguing over me like two dogs with a bone, then I’m going to go home by myself,” she informed them, pressing her hands to her temples. “God. I don’t care where I go, I just want to sleep.”

She was unaware of the concern that filled the air. Timothy had never seen his daughter bloody; Celia knew she’d have nightmares for years to come over it. And Chase. Chase felt as though rage was going to destroy his sanity. So help him God, if he found out who did this, he was going to kill.

“I’ll get her signed out of here,” Sanjer promised. “I’ll be there in an hour, Chase. Have my room ready. And some food if no one minds. My dinner was interrupted tonight.”

Chase moved around the bed, holding Kia’s attention, seeing in her eyes the vulnerability there, the almost hidden fears and desires. He didn’t bother to hide his. He wouldn’t make the same mistake he had made earlier tonight. He had dared to take his eyes off her when everything inside him had screamed at him to go with her, to chase after her.

She was stuck with him now, and he wondered if that might ultimately end up destroying both of them. Chase had never been one to let go of anything that belonged to him. And he was starting to feel as though Kia… belonged.

He picked her up in his arms, feeling how light she was, how fragile. He held her gaze.

“I told you,” he whispered then. “It doesn’t change. Only the circumstances do.”

“And I told you,” she whispered back. “Bet me!”